Mechanical back brush and height scale



1963 J. M KlNLEY GRAFMYER 3,109,177v

MECHANICAL BACK BRUSH AND HEIGHT SCALE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8,1961 raw/$1M; M 9mm Nov. 5, 1963 J. MGKINLEY GRAFMYER MECHANICAL BACKBRUSH AND HEIGHT SCALE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1961 e w E 0 MW@W Nov. 5, 1963 J, MGKINL EY GRAFMYER 3, 7

MECHANICAL BACK BRUSH AND HEIGHT SCALE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 8,1961 M A w W M A W w M M E w y 0 2 3 (a. m II I] .l

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United States Patent 3,109,177 MECHANICAL BACK BRUSH HEIGHT SCALE JamesMcKinley Grafmyer, Box 58, Lawson, Colo. Filed ept. 8, 1961, Ser. No.136,820 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-158) This invention relates generally to bodycleansing apparatus, and in particular, to a back-scrubbing device in amounting having a remote manual control, and adapted for selectivepositioning at various vertical positions, to conform to the height ofthe user. From the standpoint of delicacy, bathing is usually a soleeffort, and since the normal human anatomy is ill-adapted for manualcontact with the back, much less to scrub it, there results a problemwhich is one of long standing, and it is a general object of the presentinvention to remedy this difficulty.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide ascrubbing brush unit, which is mounted for adjustable, verticalpositioning through a control means, easy of access by the hands, andrequiring no dexterity in manipulation. A further object is to provide adevice of this nature which is automatically removed to an outof-the-wayposition when not in use. Yet another object is to provide an adjustablescrubber which may either be moved up and down repeatedly to accomplishthe scrubbing, or alternatively, clamped in an adjusted position whereit may be engaged by the moving body of the user. A further, and relatedobject is to combine, with the adjustable feature of the scrubber, adevice for measuring the height of the user.

These and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in theart, are attained by the present invention, which may be brieflydescribed as comprising a mounting for a brush or the like, slidablycarried in a vertically disposed tube, and suspended from a reel with aspring recoil, and with an operating cord running through a guide tubeto a position convenient to the grasp of the user.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference is made tothe following specification, as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the entire assemy,

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through an upper portion of the assembly,taken on the :line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2 FIGURE 6is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of FIGURE 6, and

FIGURE 8 is a View similar to FIGURE 1, showing a storage rack for aplurality of brushes.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, contemplated as awhole the system comprises a holder 10, with spring clamp tabs 11holding a brush 12 and slidable along a vertically disposed tube 14while suspended from a supporting line which is reeled into and out of ahousing 16. The tube has at its lower end a rectangularly-disposedportion 18, the terminal end section 20 of which portion is disposedtransversely to the planes of the axes of the tube 14 and portion 18with a control cord 22 running through the tube and having operativeconnections to effect movement of the brush holder. Section 20, which isperpendicular to both tube 14 and section 18, is provided with an endcap '23, having a central perforation through which the cord 22 passes.

Tube 14 and its leg 18, are secured to a wall 24 by screws 26, passingthrough spacer blocks 28 having semicircular recesses in which the tubesare nested, and the vertical tube 14 has a vertical slit 30 throughoutmost of its length to accommodate an intermediate neck portion 32 of arider 34-, to which the brush holder 10 is secured by screws 36, therider 34 having a generally cylindrical head 38 beyond the neck portionwhich fits snugly with-in tube 14 for easy sliding movement. The head 38has a series of three vertically disposed, parallel bores 49, 42, 44,through which the cord 22 is alternately threaded so as to inhibitmovement of the rider along the cord, but permit its adjustment alongthe cord by stepwise manipulation of the cord loops. Above the rider thecord leads to the storage reel housing 16, Where it is normally heldstored in retracted, upward position by the action of a spring 46, ofthe coiled ribbon type, having a terminal end 48 anchored in a .slot 50in the periprhery of a fixed, central shaft 52, secured, at one end, tothe housing 16 by a peened, or riveted head 54, and at the other end bya screw 56. The housing 16, composed of two, cupshaped halves, united ina lap joint 58, has two rectangularly disposed sides, 60' in thevertical direction, and 62 in the horizontal, and these have adepending, tubular collar 64 which is received on the tube 14, beingsecured by a split clamp 66 with screw 68.

The cord 22 is wound, in single strand layers, on a reel or .spoolcomprising a pair of flanges 70, extending from a hollow dr-um 72,composed of cup-shaped halves secured by bent tabs 73, and rotatablymounted on the fixed shaft 52, and to which the outer end of spring 46is attached as by a rivet 74. The arrangement is such that with thespring in unstressed condition except for the dead weight of the riderand the mounted brush, the latter will be in their uppermost position,that is to say, the non-working position. However, the brush may beadjusted to any desired working level by a pull on cord ZZ, against theresistance of spring 46.

In the normal use of the device, the scrubbing action is achieved by areciprocating, up-and-down movement of the brush, occasioned byalternately pulling on the cord 22, and permitting it to recede underthe restoring action of the spring. If the height of the user is suchthat the brush may be operated from its uppermost position, noadjustment is necessary, and the pull may be imparted by a knob 7 6,through which the terminal end of the cord is threaded, and secured by aknot 76. However, for persons of smaller stature, or for reaching lowerportions of the back, the mean position of the brush will need to besomewhat lower, and for this purpose an auxiliary, spool-form handle 80,with bore 8-1, and end flanges 82, 8'4, slidably mounted on the cord, isadapted to grip the cord at selected positions along its length. For thegripping action the spool has a radially disposed notch or slot 86communicating from without to the central passage, and in this slit isslidably mounted a pressure plate 88, which has limited play in a radialdirection by virtue of a pair of slots 90 in the plate, loosely mountedon a pair of pins 92, carried by the spool. 'For adjustment of the mean,working position of the brush, the spool is held in one hand, in itsposition adjacent section 20, while a pull is exerted on end knob 76 bythe other hand, until the proper adjustment is obtained, after which thecord is seized in the adjusted location of the spool therealong, bypressure of the hand on plate 88, whereupon knob 76 may be released, andreciprocations imparted to the cord by the hand holding the spool.

In order to lock the spool in adjusted position, the inner end flange 82is provided with a set screw 94 received in a radially disposed,threaded bore 96 in the flange, and adapted to bite into cord 22, tolock the spool in position. This lock is also useful in the case whereit is desired to maintain the brush in a fixed position,

for movement of the body of the user across the brush.

The height measuring means comprises a vertical rod 100 having ahorizontally bent, upper leg 101, and mounted in a bore 102 in the rider34, where it is se cured, in proper position, by a thumb screw 104.Along its length, adjacent the longitudinal slot 30, the tube 14 carriesa series of graduations 106, marking the height, in feet and inches,above the level of the bottom 108 of the bathtub, or shower stall, orother locale. As shown, the graduations commence at a height 2 /2 feetabove the bottom, or standing level, and go up about 6 feet. To measurea height, the leg 101 is turned from a position parallel to the wall, asin FIGURE 1, to a position 90 thereto, as shown in dotted lines, and therider is lowered by pulling on the knob 86 until the leg 101 contactsthe top of the head of the party being measured. The rider is thenlocked in position by screw 94, as described above, and the party mayturn about and make the height reading. The reading is most convenientlymade by the position of a portion of the rider, or an index. markthereon, on the scale markings, and if these give the true height at thepoint of the graduation, there must be added a cor rection in the amountof the distance of leg 101 above the index mark, which can be keptconstant for all cases. However, it will be found convenient to soarrange the graduations 106 on the tube, so that they give, not theiractual height, but the actual height plus the distance of the leg 101above the index mark.

For family convenience, or for the general sake of variety, the brushesmay be stored, in plurality, in a rack adjacent the assembly. Thus, inFIGURE 8, is shown a plate 110 secured to the wall as by screws 112,having a width corresponding to the length of brushes, such as brush 12,and of a length adapted to mount a desired number of brushes, which inthe case shown mounts to four. In storage, the brushes are arranged withtheir lengths across the width of the plate, and are clamped in place byopposed pairs of spring tabs 114 similar to the tabs 11 on theadjustable scrubber. Thus, each member of a family may have his ownbrush handy for use in the system, and these may bear appropriateidentification, such as coloring, as in the case of tooth brushes.

While a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described,various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, inthe light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore,be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A back-scrubbing device comprising an elongated upstandingcylindrical guide tube having a longitudinally extending slit in itswall, a storage unit comprising a cylindnical housing carried on theupper end of said tube, with its axis transverse to the axis of saidtube, a fixed shaft in said housing, concentric therewith, a reel mount-4 ed for rotation on said shaft, a coil spring with one end anchored onsaid shaft and the other end attached to said reel, a rider of generallycylindrical form, slidab-ly mounted in said tube, and having a neckportion projecting through and slidable along said slit, and a blockexteriorly of and adjacent to the slit of said tube and secured to saidneck portion, spring clamp means on said block for holding a brush, saidtube having, at its lower end, a rectangularly disposed portion, andsaid portion having a terminal end section disposed transversely to theplane of the axes of said tube and said portion, said rider having aseries of bores arranged parallel to its axis, a cord attached to saidreel, threaded alternately through the bores in said rider and passingthrough the tube and said portion, and exend-ing outwardly'of saidsection, a tubular handle received on said cord outwardly of saidsection and having a radial longitudinal slot, a braking bar mounted insaid slot for limited movement, radially of said handle, and adapted tofrictionally engage said cord, and a screw threaded in said handle andadapted to engage said cord.

2. A back-scrubbing device comprising an elongated upstandingcylindrical guide tube having a longitudinally extending slit in itswall, a storage unit comprising a housing carried on the upper end ofsaid tube, with its axis transverse to the axis of said tube, a fixedshaft in said housing, concentric therewith, a reel mounted for rotationon said shaft, a coil spring with one end anchored on said shaft and theother end attached to said reel, a rider slidably mounted in said tube,and having a neck portion projecting through and slidable along saidslit, and a block exteriorly of and adjacent to the slit of said tubeand secured to said neck portion, spring clamp means on said block forholding a brush, said tube having, at its lower end, a rectangularlydisposed portion, and said portion having a terminal end sectiondisposed transversely to the plane of the axes of said tube and saidportion, said rider having a series of bores arranged parallel to itsaxis, a cord attached to said reel, threaded alternately through thebores in said rider and passing through the tube and said portion, andextending outwardly of said section, a tubular handle received on saidcord, outwardly of said section and having a longitudinal slot, and abraking bar mounted in said slot for limited movement, radially of saidhandle, and adapted to irictionally engage said cord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,103,816 Newhouse et a1. July 14, 1914 1,484,681 Tamar-in Feb. 26, 19241,488,076 Tebo Mar. 25, 1924 2,670,168 Magnan et al. Feb. 23, 1954

1. A BACK-SCRUBBING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UPSTANDINGCYLINDRICAL GUIDE TUBE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLIT IN ITSWALL, A STORAGE UNIT COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING CARRIED ON THEUPPER END OF SAID TUBE, WITH ITS AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS OF SAIDTUBE, A FIXED SHAFT IN SAID HOUSING, CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, A REELMOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID SHAFT, A COIL SPRING WITH ONE END ANCHOREDON SAID SHAFT AND THE OTHER END ATTACHED TO SAID REEL, A RIDER OFGENERALLY CYLINDRICAL FORM, SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID TUBE, AND HAVING ANECK PORTION PROJECTING THROUGH AND SLIDABLE ALONG SAID SLIT, AND ABLOCK EXTERIORLY OF AND ADJACENT TO THE SLIT OF SAID TUBE AND SECURED TOSAID NECK PORTION, SPRING CLAMP MEANS ON SAID BLOCK FOR HOLDING A BRUSH,SAID TUBE HAVING, AT ITS LOWER END, A RECTANGULARLY DISPOSED PORTION,AND SAID PORTION HAVING A TERMINAL END SECTION DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY TOTHE PLANE OF THE AXES OF SAID TUBE AND SAID PORTION, SAID RIDER HAVING ASERIES OF BORES ARRANGED PARALLEL TO ITS AXIS, A CORD ATTACHED TO SAIDREEL, THREADED ALTERNATELY THROUGH THE BORES IN SAID RIDER AND PASSINGTHROUGH THE TUBE AND SAID PORTION, AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAIDSECTION, A TUBULAR HANDLE RECEIVED ON SAID CORD OUTWARD-